Semi-automatic firearm trigger mechanism and safety device

ABSTRACT

A firearm has a frame, a barrel assembly, a slide assembly which holds a recoil assembly, and a firing system with a trigger assembly and safety mechanism. The slide and recoil assemblies are located above the barrel so that the barrel is situated between the topmost part of the frame and the bottom of the slide assembly. The barrel assembly includes a housing which is covered by the slide assembly and secures one side of the recoil assembly. The barrel can be removably connected to the frame through front and rear mounts with removable pins and can modularly connect with the frame and slide assembly so that different caliber barrels can be interchanged. In addition to the trigger, the trigger assembly has a hammer, a sear, a lever arm that engages the trigger, sear and hammer, and springs that bias the trigger assembly components.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. Nos.14/486,633 and 62/100,342 respectively filed on Sep. 15, 2014 and Jan.6, 2015, hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a semi-automatic pistol, and moreparticularly to modular compact semi-automatic pistols with quick-changebarrels and corresponding inserts for different caliber barrels, animproved recoil mechanism having a shock absorbing system with a springand dampener assembly that is held in place and stopped by a housingformed above the barrel, and a firing system with a trigger assembly andsafety device having reduced complexity.

Related Art

Known firearms generally experience kickback and muzzle climb due todischarge gases when the firearm is fired. Kickback is created by aforward momentum of the bullet and results in a rearward acting forceupon the firearm and the marksman. Additionally, muzzle climb is causedby a torque which creates an upward movement of the barrel when thefirearm is discharged. Recoil and muzzle climb typically increase withthe size of the bullet or projectile. Moreover, there is typically aninverse relationship between the weight of the firearm and the kickbackeffects such that a lower weight firearm produces an increased kickbackand muzzle climb transferred to the operator of the firearm. Kickbackand muzzle climb may cause marksmen to flinch or hesitate whendischarging the firearm, thereby resulting in less control of thefirearm. Additionally, muzzle climb and recoil may lead to fatigue inthe marksman and may inhibit the marksman's ability to repeatedlydischarge the firearm. Kickback and muzzle climb can cause the marksmanto move out of alignment with the target after each round is firedrequiring additional setup time for each subsequent shot. As such,kickback and muzzle climb can decrease the accuracy of the marksman.

Most prior art semi-automatic pistols either have recoil mechanismsbeneath the barrel or, around the barrel in some cases, and there are afew instances in which the recoil mechanisms are above the barrel.However, pistols with the recoil mechanism beneath the barrel create ahigher torque from the kickback or “recoil” upon discharging the firearmdue to the offset of the barrel from the position of the operator'shand. The larger the offset distance, the greater the counterforce thatthe operator of the firearm must exert to overcome the torque andmaintain control after discharging the firearm, resulting in discomfortand increased fatigue to the operator of the firearm. In traditionalsemi-automatic pistols in which an ammunition magazine (or clip) slidesinto the butt handle of the firearm, the centerline of the barrel isoffset by approximately an inch or higher than the top of the triggerand the top of the handle where the operator's hand is located. Evenwith compact semi-automatic pistols, nearly an inch offset is typical.None of these traditional prior art pistols have the recoil mechanismsecured over the barrel by a housing positioned over the barrel orfiring chamber.

Furthermore, the gun barrels in many prior art firearms move duringoperation of the firearm, either sliding or rotating. This movement cannegatively impact the accuracy of the firearms, since this creates afloating-type moment when firing the weapon. However, as indicated inU.S. Pat. No. 747,585 it has generally been considered that the closerlocation of the barrel to the sighting line would result in increasedaccuracy. There has been a desire to replace barrels without the needfor any tool, and although some barrels located above the recoilassembly have provided this ability, there has not been a firearm inwhich different caliber barrels could be interchanged in a modularmanner so that they both work with the same frame, firing system, slideassembly and recoil mechanism.

In those firearms in which the barrel is situated below the recoilmechanism, it would be beneficial to permit the replacement of thebarrel without the need for any tool. Additionally, there would beadditional benefits to a barrel that is connected directly to the frameand does not move which can provide a stable, unmoving platform to holdthe recoil mechanism to reduce the complexity of the firearm andminimize the moving parts in the firearm. There would also be benefitsof an improved recoil mechanism with a shock absorbing system.

It would also be beneficial to provide a firing system with a triggerassembly that is compact and lightweight and that can operate withdifferent caliber barrels. Additionally, it would be beneficial toprovide a safety device for a trigger assembly that is both effectiveand reduces the complexity of the parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention comprise a firearm with a frame, abarrel assembly, a slide assembly with a recoil mechanism, and a firingsystem with a trigger assembly and safety device. The slide assembly andrecoil mechanism are located above the barrel assembly so that thebarrel is situated between the topmost part of the frame and the bottomof the slide assembly. The barrel assembly includes a housing situatedabove the firing chamber which is covered by the slide assembly andsecures the side of the recoil assembly proximate to the breech plate.

The firearm of the present invention is also designed to have modularbarrel assemblies that are interchangeable with each other so thatdifferent caliber gun barrels can use the same frame, firing system,recoil mechanism and possibly even the same slide assembly. The modularbarrel assemblies are connected to the frame with takedown pins whichpermit quick removal and replacement without any tools apart from thecartridges used in the firearm. The removable connection of the barrelassembly to the frame are preferably through front and rear mounts thatmay be secured using the removable takedown pins.

The firing system has a trigger assembly that is compact and lightweightand that can operate with different caliber barrels. The triggerassembly includes a lever arm extending between the trigger pull and thesear; the lever arm has a ram that engages a tab on the sear and anextension that engages a cam surface on the hammer. The safety devicefor the trigger assembly reduces the complexity of the parts fromtraditional safeties, using a rotating shaft which engages the sear andforces the sear into its engaged position with the hammer catch surfacein a safety-on configuration; a cutout section of the shaft allows thesear to rotate away from the hammer catch surface in the firing-readyconfiguration.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. Thedetailed description and specific examples of the invention in thespecification and drawings are intended for purposes of illustrationonly and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a firearm of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view of the firearm of the presentinvention.

FIG. 1C is a front view of the firearm of the present invention.

FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view of the firearm of the presentinvention with a variation in the sear design.

FIG. 2A is an exploded cross-sectional view of the firearm shown in FIG.1A.

FIG. 2B is a front view of the frame of the firearm shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a front view of an interchangeable barrel assembly and breechplate insert for the firearm.

FIG. 3A is an exploded isometric view of the firearm of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3B is a detail isometric view of an alternative mount for barrelassemblies.

FIG. 3C is an isometric view of the firing system with the triggerassembly and the linear striker mechanism.

FIG. 3D is an isometric view of an alternative firing system.

FIGS. 4A-4H are a progression of views as the firearm discharges, cocks,and returns to its firing-ready position.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional detail views of the safety device inan engaged position and a disengaged position, respectively.

FIG. 5C is an isometric view of the safety device shown in FIGS. 5A and5B.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional detail views of an alternativesafety device in an engaged position and a disengaged position,respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses. Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, the firearm 10of the present invention includes a frame 12, a barrel assembly 14, aslide assembly 16 that contains a recoil mechanism 18, and a firingsystem 20. The slide assembly and recoil mechanism are located above thegun barrel 14 a so that the barrel is situated between the topmost partof the frame and the bottom of the slide assembly. The barrel assembly14 includes a housing 14 b which is covered by the slide assembly 16 andsecures one side of the recoil assembly 18. The firearm is operated bythe firing system 20 which includes a trigger assembly 22 and linearstriker mechanism 24. Details of the various features of the firearm aredescribed below with reference to FIGS. 1-3, and the operation of thefirearm is described below with reference to the drawings shown in FIGS.4A-4H. A preferred embodiment of the firing system's safety mechanism 60and its corresponding operation are shown in FIGS. 3C, 5A, and 5B, andan alternative safety mechanism 60′ and its operation are shown in FIGS.3D, 6A and 6B.

The barrel assembly can be removably connected to the frame throughfront and rear mounts 14 c, 14 d that may be secured using removablepins 26. The barrel assembly can modularly connect with the frame andslide assembly so that different caliber barrels 14′, 14″ can beinterchanged with each other using the same frame and slide assembly.When the same slide assembly is used for different caliber barrels, aninsert 50 preferably mounts within a fitting 52 in the slide. It willalso be appreciated that each different caliber barrel may have its ownuniquely sized slide assembly to avoid the use of inserts. Additionally,it is also possible to form the barrel assembly with the frame so thatthey are permanently attached to each other.

The frame 12 has a handle portion 12 a and a trigger portion 12 b. Thehandle portion has a left side and a right side extending from thetrigger portion to a butt end 12 c of the frame. The sides each have aside aperture 32 a proximate to the trigger portion and a lip 12 d thatis proximate to the top end of the handle portion and extends along thetop end to the butt end of the handle portion. The trigger portion hasan arm 12 e extending from the handle portion and a cavity 34 recessedfrom a top face of the arm 12 f. A pair of sides of the arm extends fromthe sides of the handle portion to form a pair of side walls on oppositesides of the cavity, and each of the side walls has a side wall aperture36 a.

The barrel assembly 14 is positioned adjacent to the top face of thearm. The barrel assembly includes a gun barrel 14 a, a housing 14 b, afront mount 14 c, and a rear mount 14 d and has a front portion 14 e, arear portion 14 f, a top side 14 g, and a bottom side 14 h. The frontand back mounts extend from the bottom side of the front and backportions, respectively. The housing 14 b extends from the top side ofthe gun barrel and has inner and outer surfaces 38 a, 38 b and front andback surfaces 40 a, 40 b. The top side includes a pair of longitudinalribs 42 extending between the front portion and the rear portion. Thefront mount is seated in the cavity and has a front aperture 36 baligned with the side wall aperture 36 a in each of the side walls. Therear mount is seated between the first side and the second side and hasa rear aperture 32 b aligned with the side apertures 32 a. As shown inFIG. 3A, the mounts are preferably pinned. However, as particularlyshown in FIG. 3B, a latch mount 28 may be used in place of either one ofthe pin mounts. The latch mount would engage with a catch 30 on theframe and then the pin mount would be locked in place, preferably with atakedown pin.

The takedown pin locks the barrel assembly to the frame and can bedislodged from the pin aperture using a standard caliber cartridge 44.The user can then pull the pin out of the aperture to remove the barrelassembly 14 from the frame 12. The barrel assembly 14 caninterchangeably connect with the frame 12 and the slide assembly 16 in amodular manner. For example, one barrel assembly 14′ can be one caliber(0.45) while another barrel assembly 14″ can be a different caliber (9mm), as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, respectively. These barrel assemblies14 are interchangeable with each other, and the centerline 46 of eachgun barrel aligns with the firing pin hole 16 g in the breech plate 16b. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, different breech plate inserts 50 mayhave the same outer size 50 a to mount within the fitting 52 in theslide assembly and different sized interior spacing 50 b′, 50 b″ toaccommodate different caliber ammunition. For example, a thin-walledinsert 50 b′ may be used to hold 45 caliber ammunition in alignment withthe firing pin hole 16 g while a thick-walled insert 50 b″ correspondswith 9 mm ammunition. The centerline 46 of the gun barrels are alignedwith the center of the firing pin hole in the breech plate. To lock thebarrel assembly to the frame, a takedown pin 26 a extends through theaperture in the front mount and the side wall aperture in each one ofthe side walls. Similarly, a takedown pin 26 b extends through theaperture in the rear mount and the side apertures in the frame.

The slide assembly 16 includes a front casing 16 a, a rear casing 16 b,a breech plate 16 c, a firing pin bore 16 d, an internal recess 16 e,and a conduit 16 f between the internal recess and the rear casing. Asindicated above, the breech plate has a firing pin hole 16 g alignedwith the firing pin bore 16 d. The front casing extends from theinternal recess to a distal end around the nose portion of the recoilrod. The front casing mates with the barrel and encloses the recoilassembly in an interior space between the front casing and the top sideof the barrel. The front casing has a pair of apertures 48 at the distalend and a pair of inwardly-facing grooves 16 g extending from the distalend to a location proximate to the internal recess. The pair oflongitudinal ribs slide in the pair of inwardly-facing grooves. The rearcasing has a pair of outwardly-facing grooves 16 h, and the first lipand the second lip slide in the pair of outwardly-facing grooves. Theback surface of the housing abuts the internal recess and the recoilassembly sleeve continues through the housing and is seated at the backwall of the internal recess.

The recoil assembly 18 includes a rod 18 a, a helical spring 18 b and asleeve 18 c. The recoil rod 18 a has a nose portion 18 d and anelongated rod 18 e extending from the nose portion. The nose portion hasa bore 18 f. The sleeve 18 c has a flange 18 g around an open end at thefront and an annular rib 18 h at an opening at the back end. Theelongated rod extends through an interior portion 18 i of the sleeve andprojects out the opening at the back end. The helical spring 18 bsurrounds the elongated rod 18 a and is contained between the noseportion and the annular rib. An outer surface 18 j of the sleeve iscontained within the inner surface 38 a of the housing 14 b, and theflange 18 g abuts the front surface 40 a of the housing 14 b. The recoilassembly also preferably includes a dampener device 18 k which softensthe impact of the slide as it is forced back following a discharged of around. For example, a series of Belleville washers in a back-to-backarrangement can be situated around the rod between the spring and thenose portion so that when the slide reaches its backmost travel, thewashers are compressed between the nose portion and the sleeve's flangeat a slide stop formed by the housing's front surface 40 a. The recoilassembly 18 is preferably connected to the slide assembly by anothertakedown pin 26 c. The pin extends through the pair of apertures in thefront casing of the slide assembly and through the bore in the noseportion of the recoil assembly. It will be appreciated that any standardfastener can be used to connect the recoil assembly to the slideassembly.

The firing system 20 includes a trigger assembly 22 and a linear strikermechanism 24 as particularly illustrated in FIGS. 3C and 3D. The linearstriker mechanism includes the firing pin 24 a and the firing pin spring24 b which are seated in the firing pin bore 16 d in the slide assembly16. The linear striker mechanism may also include a bushing 54 as shownin FIGS. 2A and 3D and a tab 56 with a slot 58 to maintain the firingpin in its proper position in the firing pin bore. Different caliberrounds may have differently sized firing pins 24 a, 24 a′ and the firingpin springs 24 b, 24 b′ as shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D.

The trigger assembly 22 as shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D have many of thesame components, including a hammer 22 a, a sear 22 b, a lever arm 22 c,and a trigger pull 22 d. The lever arm 22 c extends from the triggerpull to its engagement with the sear and the hammer. The triggerassembly 22 also includes a safety mechanism 60 and several springswhich are described below relative to the components of the triggerassembly that the springs bias in various positions and orientations.One trigger assembly with a preferred safety mechanism 60 is shown inFIG. 3C, and another trigger assembly with an alternative safetymechanism 60′ is shown in FIG. 3D. Both versions of the trigger assemblyuse the same hammer design and also use a very similar sear design. Thelever arm has some of the same features in both versions of the triggerassembly, but the lever arm used for the alternative safety mechanism60′ has additional parts that are not in the preferred safety mechanism60.

The hammer 22 a is pivotally mounted to the frame so that it rotatesbetween its cocked orientation and its discharge orientation. The hammerhas a catch surface 62 a and a cam surface 62 b which interact with thesear and lever arm as described in detail below and has a strikingsurface 62 c that impacts the backside 24 c of the striker mechanism 24.Generally, the sear engages the hammer's catch surface to hold thehammer in its cocked position, and the hammer's cam surface engages thelever arm to disengage it from the sear when the hammer rotates from itscocked orientation to its discharge orientation. The hammer spring 62 cbiases the hammer to its discharge orientation, and the hammerdisengages the lever arm from the sear to prevent fully-automatic firingof the firearm. After the lever arm is disengaged from the sear, thetrigger pull must be released for the lever arm to reengage with thesear.

Both the preferred safety mechanism 60 and the alternative safetymechanism 60′ have a safety toggle switch 60 a that is located in arecess 12 g in the exterior of the frame 12. The switch connects to ashaft 60 b that extends through and is rotatable in a pair of holes 54in the frame. Preferably, the safety mechanism is ambidextrous, having asafety switch on each end of the shaft. The switch may have a detent,such as a nub 60 a′ on its inner surface, which engages with adepression 12 h in the recess to hold the switch in the safety-onposition. A user must push the switch past the detent to rotate theswitch and shaft into the safety-off position. In the preferred safetymechanism, a solid portion 60 c of the shaft engages the sear and forcesthe sear into its engaged position with the hammer catch surface for thesafety-on configuration. In this preferred version, a cutout section 60d of the shaft allows the sear to rotate away from the hammer catchsurface for the safety-off, firing-ready configuration. It will beappreciated that the particular shape of the shaft in the region of thesear could be an oblong or other irregular shape that matches with acorresponding mating surface on the sear so that the shaft surfacegenerally serves as a cam with an engaged (safety-on) position and adisengaged (safety-off) position relative to the sear. In thealternative safety mechanism which is described in detail below, theshaft 60 b has a cam surface 60′c that engages the lever arm 22 c toforce it into a safety-on configuration with the sear, the cam surfacedisengages from the lever arm to allow it to move into a safety-offconfiguration with the sear.

As shown in FIG. 3C, the sear 22 b engages the hammer 22 a with alatching position that holds the hammer in its cocked orientation. Inparticular, the sear has a latch 64 a which engages the catch surfacewhen the sear is in its latching position and the hammer is in itscocked position. When the safety is off and the trigger is squeezed,i.e. moved from its rest position to its pulled position, the lever armis actuated so that it pushes the sear to its releasing position whichis where the latch falls away from the catch surface. A trigger spring66 biases the trigger in the rest position, and the sear's latch isbiased toward the catch by a sear spring 68 (see also FIG. 1D). The searpreferably includes a tab 64 b which extends from the sear's side and isacted on by the lever arm; the sear spring biases the tab toward thelever arm. When the sear is at its releasing position, the catch surfaceis no longer held by the latch, and the hammer spring forces the hammerto rotate from its cocked orientation to its discharge orientation. Thesear also preferably includes a notch 64 c which is positioned on theback side of the sear on the opposite side from the latch 64 a andadjacent to the shaft's cutout section 60 d when the safety switch isrotated into the safety-off position. The alignment of the notch in thesear with the cutout section allows the sear to rotate from its latchingposition back to its releasing position.

As shown in FIG. 3D, the trigger assembly with the alternative safetymechanism has a sear 22 b component with slightly different features. Inthis embodiment, the search also has the latch 64 a and the tab 64 b.However, instead of a notch on the back of the sear as in the embodimentshown in FIG. 3C, the sear has a safety catch 64 d that extends from thesame side of the sear as the tab 64 b to interact with the lever arm 22c when the safety is on.

As shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, the lever arm 22 c interacts with anddirectly contacts the trigger 22 d, the sear 22 b, and the hammer 22 a.The lever arm is rotatably connected to the trigger through a pivot pin82 and has a ram 72 a and an extension 72 b through which the lever armengages the other components of the trigger assembly. In the lever arm'sready position, the ram engages the tab and the ram uses the tab to pushthe sear back so that the latch is pushed away from the hammer catch.The lever arm is biased up toward the hammer by the lever arm spring 74so that the extension contacts the hammer's cam surface. In the leverarm's firing position, the hammer's cam surface engages the extensionand forces the lever arm down as the hammer rotates from its cockedorientation to its discharge orientation, and this also causes the ramto disengage from the sear's tab. After the firearm discharges and therecoil mechanism begins cocking the hammer back, the cam surface rotatesback with the hammer and allows the lever spring arm to bias the leverarm up back toward the tab on the sear. In the semi-automatic mode ofoperation, an interference between the tab and the ram prevents the taband ram from reengaging while the trigger remains depressed, even whenthe hammer is latched and the slide returns to chamber another round.When the trigger is released, the trigger spring biases the trigger andlever arm forward which brings the ram past the interference, therebyallowing the lever arm to return to its fully upward position in whichthe ram engages the tab to permit another triggering sequence todischarge the cartridge.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3D, the leverarm can also have a hook 72 c, a notch 72 d and a projection 72 e. Whenthe hammer is in its discharge orientation, the hammer's cam surface 62b pushes the lever arm down so that the notch in the lever arm is forcedonto a firing detent 70 which prevents the lever arm and trigger fromresetting at the same time that the firearm is being discharged. In thefiring ready operation, the hammer cocking action allows the lever armup off of the firing detent. In the lever arm's safety position for thisembodiment, the safety's cam pushes the lever arm down so that thesafety notch is on the safety detent and the hook is around the safetycatch. The safety notch/detent engagement prevents the trigger frommoving from its rest position to its pulled position, and the hook/catchsafety engagement prevents the sear from moving from its latchingposition to its releasing position. Due to weight and/or spacelimitations or to place the toggle bar in a quick release location onthe handle, the cam may be offset from the top side of the lever arm.Accordingly, the lever arm may include the projection 72 e to contactthe safety's cam that adjusts for the offset.

While one of ordinary skill in the art would generally understand thesemi-automatic firearm's cycle of operation, a general cycle and itsconstituent phases are described below, starting with a cartridgefeeding phase after a round has been fired from the pistol. Thecartridge feeding phase involves the upward movement of cartridges in amagazine 76 loaded into the pistol. This upward movement of cartridgesis generally accomplished by a follower and a spring positioned withinmagazine. However, other methods of cartridge feeding may be used tomove the rounds upward into the path of the pistol's slide by themagazine follower and spring assembly. The feeding phase may alsoinclude a ramping action that occurs as the pistol slide moves forwardand starts to strip a cartridge forward from the magazine. It isimportant to note that, in many pistols, the barrel is not stationarywith the frame of the pistol, but instead moves forward and backwardduring the entire cycle of operation, i.e., a floating barrel.

A cartridge chambering phase occurs next in the cycle of operation,where a cartridge is stripped from the magazine and placed into thechamber of the pistol. This stripping action occurs as the slide movesforward under compressed recoil spring pressure, which in turn pulls acartridge from the magazine. The combined movement of the slide and theupward pressure of the follower/spring assembly in magazine push thecartridge up a frame/barrel ramp and into the chamber. In many prior artpistols, the front muzzle end of the barrel angles upward and therearward firing chamber end of the barrel angles downward during thisphase to effect the chambering of a cartridge. In the present invention,the barrel remains fixed with the frame and may even be integrallyformed with the frame.

Next, the pistol enters a locking phase in which the cartridge is lockedinto place in the barrel with the firing mechanism at the rear of thecartridge. In the semi-automatic pistols in which the barrel rotates,the barrel and slide are held in place relative to the frame during thisphase. As indicated above, according to one aspect of the presentinvention, the barrel remains fixed in place and does not move, and theslide is locked into position relative to both the barrel and the frame.

The cycle of operation then “suspends” at this stage, until an operatorof the pistol pulls the pistol trigger, at which time the cycle ofoperation enters into a firing phase. A triggering mechanism releases astriker or another form of a hammer, whereby the striker transfers itsenergy to the firing pin, which, in turn, strikes the primer. The primerignites the propellant charge in the chambered cartridge. The gascreated by the ignited propellant charge expands behind the bullet,forcing the bullet away from the cartridge casing and down the barrel.Generally, the barrel and slide remain in position during this initialportion of the firing phase. In the final portion of the firing phase,the bullet exits the barrel through a muzzle and the gas pressure withinthe barrel drops. At this point, the inertial thrust of the exitingbullet imparts an equal rearward force on the slide assembly. As aresult, the slide assembly moves rearward as the recoil spring assemblyabsorbs this “recoil” energy. It should be noted that the prior artpistols position the recoil spring beneath their respective floatingbarrels, the significance of which is discussed below.

At this point, the pistol enters an unlock phase, where the slide“unlocks”, “unlinks” or otherwise disengages from the barrel and frame,such that the slide can move relative thereto. The next phase, the firedcartridge case extraction phase, often occurs during this phase due tothe breaking of friction between the expended cartridge case and thechamber wall. During the fired cartridge case extraction phase, theslide continues moving rearward and the breech opens. The rim of thefired cartridge case remains firmly in place, such as by an extractorand the continued rearward motion of the slide extracts the cartridgecasing from the barrel. Finally, during the fired cartridge caseejection phase, the fired cartridge case is ejected through an ejectionport. During the ejection, the cartridge case may be pivot upward and toone side which can free the case from the extractor. Finally, the pistolenters a cocking phase, whereby the striker and firing mechanism arepositioned to fire the next cartridge. Generally, this occurs during thecontinued rearward motion of the slide.

The operational sequence of firing the pistol and automatic reloading isshown in FIGS. 4A-4H. The firing-ready rest position is shown in FIG.4A. As indicated above, in this position, the cutout section 60 d of theshaft is rotated towards the notch 64 c in the sear. When the safetyswitch is rotated into the safety-off position, the notch is positionedadjacent to the cutout section which allows the sear to rotate away fromthe hammer catch surface. With the safety off, the sear can rotate fromits latching position back to its releasing position.

The firing-ready cocked position is shown in FIG. 4B. In this position,the sear is brought to its break point. The trigger pull is pressedinwardly, and the lever arm ram pushes the sear tab to the sear breakpoint in which the sear latch is at the edge of the hammer catch. Also,at the sear break point, the lever arm extension engages the hammer cam.If the trigger pull is released, the trigger assembly returns to therest position, with the trigger and lever arm being biased forward bythe trigger spring, the lever arm remaining biased upward by the leverarm spring and the sear being biased forward by sear spring. Any furtherpull on the trigger causes the sear to release the hammer as shown inFIG. 4C. With the trigger pressed fully inward, the lever arm ram pushesthe sear tab over the sear break point so that the sear latch moves pastthe edge of the hammer catch. The hammer spring forces the hammer torotate around its pivot. The hammer cam forces the lever arm extensiondown and disengages the lever arm ram from the sear tab. As shown inFIG. 4D, the hammer rotates fully to hit the linear striker whichpropels the firing pin into the primer of the cartridge, discharging theround and firing the bullet.

As shown in FIGS. 4E and 4F, the discharge of the cartridge results in areaction force being applied through its base against the breach plate.The slide is forced back, and the hammer is cocked while the spent shellis ejected out of the cartridge firing chamber. The slide bearingsurface pushes the hammer so that it rotates back around its pivot. Asthe hammer rotates back, the hammer cam also rotates and allows thelever arm extension up, and the lever arm spring biases the lever armup. The lever arm spring pushes the lever arm up against the sear tabwhile the trigger remains pressed inward, but the ram may not fullyengage the sear tab until the trigger pull is released. The slide fullycocks the hammer, and the next cartridge in the clip is auto-loaded intothe firing chamber. As the slide bearing surface fully cocks the hammer,and the sear spring biases the sear to its forward most position so thatthe sear latch engages the hammer catch.

As shown in FIGS. 4G and 4H, the recoil spring biases the slide forwardand returns the slide to the firing ready position. When the triggerpull is released, the trigger and lever arm are biased forward by thetrigger spring. The lever arm spring pushes the lever arm up further toengage the sear tab. As the slide returns to the firing ready position,the auto-loaded round from the magazine is seated in the insert with thebase of the cartridge abutting against the breech plate and the shelland bullet forced into the cartridge firing chamber. When there are noadditional rounds in the magazine, the clip may hold the slide open. Aloaded magazine can be inserted into the handle and the safety can bereleased to chamber the first round.

The preferred safety device in an engaged position and a disengagedposition are respectively shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. As explained above,in the safety-on configuration, a solid portion 60 c of the shaftengages the sear and forces the sear into its engaged position with thehammer catch surface. In the safety-off, firing-ready configuration, acutout section 60 d of the shaft allows the sear to rotate away from thehammer catch surface. The shaft preferably extends between both sides ofthe frame, and the cutout section in the center portion of the shaft isbounded by the cylindrical shaft at both ends.

The alternative safety device in an engaged position and a disengagedposition are respectively shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In FIG. 6A, thesafety lock is engaged so that the pistol's firing system is in anon-firing arrangement. In this arrangement, the safety switch camrotates down and pushes the lever arm down, and the sear safety hookengages the sear safety catch. With the lever arm pushed down in itslowered position, the trigger safety notch on the lever arm engages thetrigger safety detent in the side of the frame. Additionally, with thelever arm in its lowered position, the lever arm ram is disengaged fromthe sear tab. The firing-ready rest position is shown in FIG. 6B. Inthis position, the safety switch rotates the safety cam up so that thesafety is off. With the safety off, the lever arm spring biases thelever arm up so that the sear safety hook is disengaged from the searsafety catch and the trigger safety notch is disengaged from the triggersafety detent. When the lever arm moves up, the lever arm ram engagesthe sear tab.

The position of the recoil assembly above the barrel assembly permitsthe barrel of the gun to be positioned closer to the trigger and therebycloser to the operator's hand that is holding the firearm at the handlegrip. Generally, the offset distance 78 between barrel's centerline 46and the top portion of the trigger 80 is less than a diameter of thebarrel (D). The barrel's centerline 46 or the bottom of the barrel canbe positioned at or less than approximately one-half inch (<½″) from thetrigger pull's topmost exposed portion 80 at the top of the triggerguard. The small offset is possible even with a barrel that handles 45caliber ammunition, having a bullet diameter of approximately 0.452″ anda base diameter of approximately 0.476″.

The closer proximity of the barrel centerline to the trigger pull andthe top of the handle reduces the moment arm between the location wherethe kickback force pushes against the firearm, i.e., within the barrel,and where the operator of the firearm must exert a force to stabilizethe firearm, i.e., at the handle grip and trigger. A smaller moment armcan significantly reduce the torque that an operator must overcome inholding the firearm as it is discharged, thereby allowing for much moreaccuracy in successive shots that are then fired. For example, for atypical semi-automatic pistol that has a recoil energy of approximately4,500 in-lb, a barrel-to-handgrip distance of an inch or more wouldresult in over 4,500 in-lb in torque that the operator must overcome.Even for a compact semi-automatic pistol, a barrel-to-handgrip distancethat is a little less than an inch or around ⅞″ would result inapproximately 4,000 in-lb in torque. In comparison, with the top-mountedrecoil mechanism of the present invention in a traditionalsemi-automatic pistol design, the barrel-to-handgrip offset can bebrought to within approximately one-half inch (½″) or less which wouldreduce the torque to less than 2,250 in-lb.

Modifications to the exemplary embodiments without departing from thescope of the invention, and all matter contained in the foregoingdescription and shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrativerather than limiting. For example, it is within the invention's scope toincorporate any known firing pin block which is directly connected tothe trigger and prevents or otherwise stops the firing pin fromextending into the cartridge firing chamber and contacting the cartridgeprimer except when the trigger is pulled, such as described in U.S. Pat.No. 3,830,002 and which is incorporated by reference herein. Thus, theinvention's scope is not limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments, and is defined only in accordance with the following claimsappended hereto and their equivalents.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A firearm for discharging ammunition, comprising: aframe comprising a handle; a barrel assembly connected to the frame; ahammer pivotally mounted to the frame, wherein the hammer comprises acatch surface and a cam surface; a hammer spring biasing the hammer to adischarge orientation; a trigger having a rest position and a pulledposition; a sear comprising a latch on a front end and a tab extendingfrom a side surface, wherein the sear has a latching position with thelatch engaging the catch of the hammer and holding the hammer in acocked orientation, wherein the sear has a releasing position with thelatch disengaged from the catch, and wherein the hammer rotates from thecocked orientation to the discharge orientation when the sear moves fromthe latching position to the releasing position; and a lever armconnecting the trigger to the sear, the lever arm comprising a ram andan extension, wherein the lever arm has a ready position and a firingposition, wherein the ram engages the tab when the lever arm is in theready position, wherein the cam surface of the hammer engages theextension when the lever arm is in the firing position, and wherein thecam surface forces the ram to disengage from the tab as the hammerrotates from the cocked orientation to the discharge orientation. 22.The firearm of claim 21, further comprising a safety mechanismcomprising a safety switch and a shaft extending through the frameproximal to the sear, wherein the safety switch is connected to theshaft and rotates the shaft in the frame between a safety-on positionand a safety-off position, wherein the shaft comprises a cutout section,wherein the cutout section is adjacent to a portion of the sear when theshaft is in the safety-off position and wherein the portion of the searfits within the cutout section in the safety-off position, and whereinthe cutout section is rotated away from the sear in the safety-onposition.
 23. The firearm of claim 21, wherein the barrel assemblycomprises a gun barrel, a front mount, a rear mount and a housing,wherein the barrel assembly has a front portion, a rear portion, a topside, and a bottom side, wherein the front mount extends from the bottomside of front portion and connects to the frame, wherein the rear mountextends from the bottom side of the rear portion and connects to theframe, wherein the housing extends from the top side of the gun barreland has an inner surface and a front surface, wherein the top side isfurther comprised of a pair of longitudinal ribs extending between thefront portion and the rear portion.
 24. The firearm of claim 23, furthercomprising a recoil assembly and a slide assembly, the recoil assemblycomprising a rod, a helical spring and a sleeve, wherein the recoil rodcomprises a nose portion and an elongated rod extending from the noseportion, wherein the sleeve has a flange around a first open end and anannular rib at a second open end, wherein the elongated rod extendsthrough an interior portion of the sleeve and projects out the secondopen end, wherein the helical spring surrounds the elongated rod and iscontained between the nose portion and the annular rib, wherein an outersurface of the sleeve is contained within the inner surface of thehousing, wherein the flange abuts the front surface of the housing,wherein the slide assembly comprises a front casing, an internal recess,a breech plate, a rear casing, a firing pin bore, and a conduit betweenthe internal recess and the rear casing, wherein the front casingextends from the internal recess to a distal end around the nose portionof the recoil rod, wherein the front casing mates with the barrel andencloses the recoil assembly in an interior space between the frontcasing and the top side of the barrel, wherein the distal end of thefront casing is fixedly connected to the nose portion of the recoilassembly, wherein the breech plate has a firing pin hole aligned withthe firing pin bore, wherein the front casing is slidably connected tothe top side of the barrel, and wherein the rear casing is slidablyconnected to the frame.
 25. The firearm of claim 24, wherein the recoilassembly further comprises a dampener situated between the spring andthe nose portion of the recoil rod, and wherein the barrel assembly islocated between the slide assembly and the frame.
 26. The firearm ofclaim 23, further comprising a first takedown pin and a second takedownpin, wherein the frame is further comprised of an arm and a pair ofsidewalls, wherein the arm extends from the handle and a cavity isrecessed from a top face of the arm, wherein the pair of sidewalls issituated between the arm and the handle, wherein the arm has a firstpair of apertures extending through the aperture, wherein the pair ofsidewalls have a second pair of apertures, wherein the front mount isseated in the cavity and has a front aperture aligned with first pair ofapertures, wherein the first takedown pin extends through the frontaperture and the first pair of apertures, wherein the rear mount isseated between the pair of sidewalls and has a rear aperture alignedwith the second pair of apertures, and wherein the second takedown pinextends through the rear aperture and the second pair of apertures. 27.The firearm of claim 21, further comprising a lever arm springoperatively connected to the lever arm, wherein the lever arm springbiases the lever arm towards the hammer.
 28. The firearm of claim 27,further comprising a safety mechanism, wherein the safety mechanismcomprises a safety switch, a shaft, and a cam, wherein the shaftconnects to the safety switch at a proximal end, extends through theframe proximal to the lever arm, and connects to the cam on an interiorside of the frame, wherein the safety mechanism has a first orientationand rotates to a second orientation, wherein the lever arm furthercomprises a hook, a notch, and a projection, wherein the cam engages theprojection in the second orientation and forces the lever to a lockedposition with the ram disengaged from the tab, with the notch positionedover a firing detent proximate to the interior side of the frame, andwith the hook engaged around a safety catch extending from the sidesurface of the sear.
 29. The firearm of claim 21, further comprising asecond barrel assembly and at least one insert, wherein the slide has afiring pin hole in a breech plate and a fitting in the breech platearound the pin hole at a location proximate to a chamber section of thebarrel assembly, wherein the insert is mounted in the fitting, whereinthe insert accommodates a second caliber of ammunition correspondingwith the second barrel assembly, and wherein the barrel assemblycorresponds with a first caliber of ammunition different from the secondcaliber.
 30. A firearm for discharging ammunition, comprising: a framecomprising a handle; a barrel assembly connected to the frame; a hammerpivotally mounted to the frame; a hammer spring biasing the hammer to adischarge orientation; a trigger having a rest position and a pulledposition; a sear having a first position and a second position, whereinthe sear holds the hammer in a cocked orientation when in the firstposition, and wherein the sear disengages from holding the hammer in thesecond position and releases the hammer to its discharge orientation; alever arm connecting the trigger to the sear, wherein a movement of thetrigger from the rest position to the pulled position moves the searfrom its first position to its second position; and a safety mechanismcomprising a safety switch and a shaft extending through the frameproximal to the sear, wherein the safety switch is connected to theshaft and rotates the shaft in the frame between a safety-on positionand a safety-off position, wherein the shaft comprises a cutout section,wherein the cutout section is adjacent to a portion of the sear when theshaft is in the safety-off position and wherein the portion of the searfits within the cutout section in the safety-off position, and whereinthe cutout section is rotated away from the sear in the safety-onposition.
 31. The firearm of claim 30, further comprising a secondbarrel assembly and at least one insert, wherein the slide has a firingpin hole in a breech plate and a fitting in the breech plate around thepin hole at a location proximate to a chamber section of the barrelassembly, wherein the insert is mounted in the fitting, wherein theinsert accommodates a second caliber of ammunition corresponding withthe second barrel assembly, and wherein the barrel assembly correspondswith a first caliber of ammunition different from the second caliber.32. The firearm of claim 30, wherein the hammer comprises a catchsurface and a cam surface, wherein the sear comprises a latch on a frontend and a tab extending from a side surface, wherein the latch engagesthe catch of the hammer in the first position to hold the hammer in thecocked orientation, wherein the latch is disengaged from the catch inthe second position, and wherein the hammer rotates from the cockedorientation to the discharge orientation when the sear moves from thefirst position to the second position.
 33. The firearm of claim 32,wherein the lever arm further comprises a ram and an extension, whereinthe lever arm has a ready position and a firing position, wherein theram engages the tab when the lever arm is in the ready position, whereinthe cam surface of the hammer engages the extension when the lever armis in the firing position, and wherein the cam surface forces the ram todisengage from the tab as the hammer rotates from the cocked orientationto the discharge orientation.
 34. The firearm of claim 30, furthercomprising a recoil assembly and a slide assembly, wherein the barrelassembly is located between the slide assembly and the frame, andwherein the recoil assembly is located within the slide assembly. 35.The firearm of claim 30, further comprising a recoil assembly and aslide assembly, wherein the recoil assembly further comprises a recoilrod with an elongated rod and a nose portion, a spring situated aroundthe elongated rod, and a dampener situated between the spring and thenose portion of the recoil rod.
 36. A firearm for dischargingammunition, comprising: a frame comprising a handle; a barrel assemblyconnected to the frame; a hammer pivotally mounted to the frame, whereinthe hammer comprises a catch surface and a cam surface; a hammer springbiasing the hammer to a discharge orientation; a trigger having a restposition and a pulled position; a sear comprising a latch on a front endand a tab extending from a side surface, wherein the sear has a latchingposition with the latch engaging the catch of the hammer and holding thehammer in a cocked orientation, wherein the sear has a releasingposition with the latch disengaged from the catch, and wherein thehammer rotates from the cocked orientation to the discharge orientationwhen the sear moves from the latching position to the releasingposition; a lever arm connecting the trigger to the sear, the lever armcomprising a ram and an extension, wherein the lever arm has a readyposition and a firing position, wherein the ram engages the tab when thelever arm is in the ready position, wherein the cam surface of thehammer engages the extension when the lever arm is in the firingposition, and wherein the cam surface forces the ram to disengage fromthe tab as the hammer rotates from the cocked orientation to thedischarge orientation; and a safety mechanism comprising a safety switchand a shaft extending through the frame proximal to the sear, whereinthe safety switch is connected to the shaft and rotates the shaft in theframe between a safety-on position and a safety-off position, whereinthe shaft comprises a cutout section, wherein the cutout section isadjacent to a portion of the sear when the shaft is in the safety-offposition and wherein the portion of the sear fits within the cutoutsection in the safety-off position, and wherein the cutout section isrotated away from the sear in the safety-on position.
 37. The firearm ofclaim 36, further comprising a second barrel assembly and at least oneinsert, wherein the slide has a firing pin hole in a breech plate and afitting in the breech plate around the pin hole at a location proximateto a chamber section of the barrel assembly, wherein the insert ismounted in the fitting, wherein the insert accommodates a second caliberof ammunition corresponding with the second barrel assembly, and whereinthe barrel assembly corresponds with a first caliber of ammunitiondifferent from the second caliber.
 38. The firearm of claim 36, furthercomprising a recoil assembly and a slide assembly, wherein the barrelassembly is located between the slide assembly and the frame.
 39. Thefirearm of claim 36, further comprising a recoil assembly and a slideassembly, wherein the recoil assembly further comprises a recoil rodwith an elongated rod and a nose portion, a spring situated around theelongated rod, and a dampener situated between the spring and the noseportion of the recoil rod.
 40. The firearm of claim 30, furthercomprising a recoil assembly and a slide assembly, the recoil assemblycomprising a rod, a helical spring and a sleeve, wherein the recoil rodcomprises a nose portion and an elongated rod extending from the noseportion, wherein the sleeve has a flange around a first open end and anannular rib at a second open end, wherein the elongated rod extendsthrough an interior portion of the sleeve and projects out the secondopen end, wherein the helical spring surrounds the elongated rod and iscontained between the nose portion and the annular rib, wherein an outersurface of the sleeve is contained within the inner surface of thehousing, wherein the flange abuts the front surface of the housing,wherein the slide assembly comprises a front casing, an internal recess,a breech plate, a rear casing, a firing pin bore, and a conduit betweenthe internal recess and the rear casing, wherein the front casingextends from the internal recess to a distal end around the nose portionof the recoil rod, wherein the front casing mates with the barrel andencloses the recoil assembly in an interior space between the frontcasing and the top side of the barrel, wherein the distal end of thefront casing is fixedly connected to the nose portion of the recoilassembly, wherein the breech plate has a firing pin hole aligned withthe firing pin bore, wherein the front casing is slidably connected tothe top side of the barrel, and wherein the rear casing is slidablyconnected to the frame.